There are many tools and techniques available to understand and analyze a system at the architectural level. Each of these may provide its own perspective of the key architectural elements of the system. We introduce the process of architectural synthesis to deal with the problem of integrating these different architectural perspectives. We emphasize the utility of the synthesis process in supp...

Software architects consider capturing and sharing architectural decisions increasingly important; many tacit dependencies exist in this architectural knowledge. Architectural decision modeling makes these dependencies explicit and serves as a foundation for knowledge management tools. In practice, however, text templates and informal rich pictures rather than models are used to capture the kno...

The scalar mediation of the object through the space of representation ensures design methodologies based on similitude or procedural techniques must initially work upon appropriated forms. Given that translation ensures that these forms remain as a trace the architectural object is implicitly reliant on the application of analogy. While still bound to the act of drawing in, on or through the d...

A key objective for ubiquitous environments is to enable system interoperability between system’s components that are highly heterogeneous. In particular, the challenge is to embed in the system architecture the necessary support to cope with behavioral diversity in order to allow components to coordinate and communicate. The continuously evolving environment further asks for an automated and o...

Context: Many software architectural decisions are group decisions rather than decisions made by individuals. Consensus in a group of decision makers increases the acceptance of a decision among decision makers and their confidence in that decision. Furthermore, going through the process of reaching consensus means that decision makers understand better the decision (including the decision topi...